Shopping

[Paul mabbott]

Not something I do a lot of or approve of, really .... but I know that at this time of year people do a lot of it.
I don't want to make suggestions about what or where you shop but ask that you give some consideration to the global effects of what you buy, especially when it impacts on wildlife and the general environment.
Where possible:
1 buy from charity shops and co-operatives
2 buy fair-traded goods and, if they're edible, organic ones!
3 don't waste your money on expensive (to the pocket and to the environment) electronic goods that are not wanted, needed or easily disposed of at the new year.
4 don't buy anything for youngsters when you can give money or tokens - in my experience and memory, always appreciated.
5 buy recycled and recylcelable (how do you spell that?) goods.
6 buy locally rather than from international conglomerates.

Anything I've forgotten?

[Kayleigh]

Good points there Paul..
I have not even thought about Xmas yet.
I go into Ostrich mode at this time of year and bury my head in the sand and hope it would all go away..
I would just love to book a holiday in the sun somewhere then come home when its all over..

[Meta menardi]

I think most people enjoy a break in the winter, it is just the mass hysteria engendered by commercial pressures that causes stress.

I go with all that Paul suggests and would add, make things as gifts if you have the time and the talent (kind of rules me out). You get a very personal gift, my 2 grown up daughters still talk about the dolls Christine made in the beds I made about *** years ago as being the thing they remember best from Christmases.

[galanthus]

I use a calendar template from a CD with my photo mag every year and make personalised calendars for family from photos I've taken. Fully recyclable and raises awareness of nature inbetween family pet/friends shots.

[Billabong Karen]

The most important rule to me would be not to give an animal as a Christmas present. So many pets end up dumped or in animal shelters after Christmas...

Unless of course you are a reliable pet owner, and buy yourself one - from an animal shelter. A recycled pet, so to speak.

[Hedera]

Pound shops have lots of bargains in diaries, books, toiletries etc which are exactly the same as those costing four times as much in shops.
Avoid things with extraneous wrappings, especially plastic.
Packs of bird food, feeders etc make good family presents and help children appreciate nature.
Adopt and animal or a bird for the children - year round interest.

[Littlesparrow]

You could always make hand crafted or edible presents for Xmas.

[pammosley]

Packaging...............one of my pet hates
I hate shopping & agree that pesonalised gifts like calendars, posters etc from photos are great individual gifts. Years ago we used to make our own crackers with the kids out of crepe paper & inside of loo rolls. We would look at visitor center shops at reserves etc for small items to put inside them, great fun

[loripo]

It is really getting silly - we have local areas already setting up for Christmas - or whatever they are allowed to call it these days. Just before Halloween I was in M&S and was amazed at the amount of stuff on offer, all 'adapted' to the Halloween theme. And they already had Christmas packets of sweets etc in store - they were selling packs of white chocolate 'snowflakes' that looked more like caulifowers
My lot are all big and ugly enough to want cash to spend rather the toys they used to like and as they all live out of London now it is actually more convenient. We make phone calls and send Emails - I do send a few daft things by post just so there is something as a surprise...